Godot/Geduo, one of the founder's of the alternative music scene in Shanghai, took their name from Samuel Beckett's absurdist play Waiting for Godot, wherein Estragon says: "Nothing happens, nobody comes, nobody goes, it's awful!" The same can't be said of this band's live performances that combine simple instrumental indie rock (read punk/post-punk and experimental) with synthesizer. First and foremost, Godot is a live band, and the energy level on this studio-produced album doesn't compare with the adrenalin rush provoked by Godot in concert. True, the six tracks included here do run at concert-level length, clocking in at between 6-13 minutes each. What's more, each track contains several melodies, each worthy of singular exploration. Overall, the absence of vocals and excess of ideas tend to blur the effect, and the experimental concept makes for difficult listening. But perhaps that is the point. Be that as it may, Godot.I would benefit from a more disciplined producer, though given the general lack of imagination in the local scene the band deserves credit for thinking out of the box.
Godot Records

(c) that's Shanghai Magazine
Chief editor: Steven Crane
December 2005 issue